1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to apparatus for supporting plants, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to apparatus for supporting plants by means of guidelines attached to a collar surrounding a stem of the plant.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art includes numerous devices for supporting plants, which devices include a collar surrounding the trunk or stem of the plant and a plurality of guidelines connected between the collar and a ground surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,090 to Lucia discloses a tree trunk grasping collar 1, which surrounds the tree trunk and is staked to the ground by means of guy wires 5. The collar disclosed by Lucia is a one piece flexible collar.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,494,072 to Olson discloses a two piece collar having the two pieces hingedly connected at point 13. The apparatus of Olson does not use guy wires, but rather uses the two piece collar to encircle both the stem of a plant and a support member 22.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,501,255 to Bell discloses a two piece splint structure having a plurality of rigid leg support members 32a and 33.
Other references illustrating the state of the art in plant support devices are found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,521,401 to Shisler, No. 3,505,761 to Prieur, No. 3,226,882 to Lichtenthaler, No. 3,010,256 to Ise, and No. 2,296,217 to Maloney.
Thus it is seen that the prior art recognizes the need for a three support apparatus, and includes such apparatus having a collar surrounding the tree with means attached to the collar for supporting the tree. The prior art does not, however, disclose or suggest the particular plant support structure of the present invention having an improved collar means and means for attaching guidelines as is further described below.